This Kid Tried to Eat 100 McDonald's Chicken Sandwiches in 24 Hours

Gorging on McDonald's is a cherished pastime among many college students. But the daunting task of inhaling 100 McChicken sandwiches in 24 hours is a mountain of poultry only Derek Metcalf of Michigan State University has attempted to climb. He's also lived to tell the tale on the internet, standing as a direct testament to chasing dreams and the indefatigable human spirit.

The senior is primed to graduate with a degree in chemical engineering next calendar year, but he isn't one to shy away from cramming gratuitous helpings of McDonald's trademark chicken sandwiches down his face. When he saw a message on Snapchat earlier this month, challenging MSU students to embark on the journey of eating 100 McChicken sandwiches in a single day, he knew he had to pounce.

"I asked my friends about how many they think someone could eat, and no one could agree on an answer," Metcalf tells Thrillist in an email. It was at that point, he says, that he "decided to do some science."

This fried quesadilla is infused with Hot Cheetos

Like any good child of the internet age, he documented his odyssey on Snapchat, and listened to Taylor Swift while devouring copious amounts of junk food. But before he started eating McChickens en masse, he had to prepare: "Going in I felt great," he says. "I fasted the day prior, love a good McChicken, and was very hungry."

While in the crux of battle, he hit a few bumps in the road, many of which started and ended with mayonnaise. Stockpiling chicken sandwiches always leads to sogginess, so Metacalf had to keep his stash of sandwiches -- he gradually bought them throughout the day while attending class -- simmering in a pan on medium to low heat. "Sandwiches that I wasn’t able to eat fresh were a real killer -- a cold sandwich and old mayo isn’t totally appetizing normally, much less on a full stomach," he said.

Metcalf, a devoted Taylor Swift fan, filmed much of his escapades on social media while blasting the singer's multi-platinum hits.

"I’m a big Taylor Swift fan, my friends know this," he said. "During the video I was playing 'Back To December' off the Speak Now Deluxe Edition CD I keep in my car. That album was playing in the background of every trip I made to McDonalds that day. I think I listened to the whole thing three times through that day."

Metcalf learned a lot about himself during the process, namely that his stomach isn't made of iron and that he, like many other human beings, comes close to vomiting after eating dozens of fast food sandwiches. The student tapped out after consuming 24 sandwiches in total, which is a pretty valiant effort, and perhaps something he'll brag about to his grandchildren one day.

If anything, he's not done eating McChicken sandwiches (or being a social media celebrity), but he's a little turned off by mayonnaise in general at the moment.

"I woke up the next morning and threw out the mayonnaise I had in my fridge," he said. "I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it before it got bad. Gross."

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.